Yankee Clipper heads out for sail training and a visit to Chief Seattle’s Memorial

The Yankee Clipper’s Eastside Peak Crew slipped the dock lines and headed though the Ballard locks last night.

They’ll be loose on Puget Sound today doing a little sail training on their 73 years young vessel. The Boatswain’s float plan also calls for a stop in Suquamish to pay respects to Chief Seattle at his grave site memorial.

After a few days of rain in Seattle, you have to like their timing. The National Weather Service says conditions will be improving through the weekend. Of course, for sailors in Seattle that’s a double edged sword. As the high pressure fills in, the winds start to drop.

When you’re trying to get a 54 foot LOA, 73 year old, wooden gaff rigged ketch to dance on the waves of Puget Sound…it helps to have NOAA give you more than “… 6 kt becoming variable and less than 5 kt in the afternoon.”

We’re serious when we wish each other “Fair Winds” around here.

This being Mother’s Day weekend, the crew is making this a short trip. They know their Mom’s would be a little upset if they weren’t home tomorrow. So after leaving on Friday evening and sailing over to Bainbridge Island, the crew tied up for the night at the public dock in Eagle Harbor. They woke up to a forecast that said overcast, but the sun was already peaking through by Saturday morning

Somehow, they convinced one of the Mates to do the actual cooking this morning.

We suspect this had something to do with the look in their eyes around the table. You really don’t want to mess with hungry Sea Scouts.

So it’s off for more sailing on Puget Sound today, and what the heck….how about going out again next week?

On the way to Suquamish, the Clipper came across the tribe’s canoe out with her crew for a paddle. Though some of the members of the canoe team noted that sailing would be a nice option. 😉

High tides made getting in to the Suquamish dock easy on Saturday for a quick stop to explore.

And the Yankee Clipper Crew took the time to pay respects to the Chief who Seattle is named for